Askance of the Heart
by Misai
Summary: YohXAnna. Setting takes place one year after the anime. Sometimes, love is not easy just because you believe. People who you love may be the very people who hurt you most. Yona angstfic. Complete.
1. 1

**Askance of the Heart**

Disclaimer: I own my own ideas; the Shaman King Anime and its characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei. 

Info: This is going to be a multichapter story. I've planned it to be only 4 chapters long going in depth into the relationship between the Shaman King cannon pairing. No, I'm not a Yona fan (GASP) but I'm writing a Yona. I just want to see one written properly so I'm taking upon doing that myself. So shoot me if you don't agree :P;. 

It was one more sunny day during the dull class that he would have to endure for the few more years ahead. The sun remained forever plastered in the blue sky and time was slow like the endless traveling of a snail to its impossible destination. There were some teachers that could lecture about the most boring things in life but you could listen to them all day and there were some that could lecture about the most exciting things in life but you would rather sneak away from the stand you once stood at prefer to quietly fade away to nothingness… 

Asakura Yoh, currently fifteen years old and in the ninth grade, had recently entered high school passing the entrance exams that Anna thought for sure he was going to fail. Anna passed with a satisfactory score..not exceptional, not horrific but satisfactory. Of course, Manta was the only one out of the trio that was accepted into the school – no questions asked. 

It was almost one year ago that the mighty Asakura Hao was murdered by his own brother's hands. The ninth grader in Classroom B-1 that sat at the back of the classroom where no one could notice him. It was a fact of his life he had been abused throughout his childhood. What set him apart from so many other people was his Shamanic powers that made people disliked him and had many teachers look down upon him. 

Starting at a new school could also mean a new life. Perhaps more friends could be made and new enemies could spring about. As the shaman prodigy only stared out of the classroom windows with a bored look, the sun still had not moved. He looked back on his desk and placed a small water bottle unto the very ledge. With a pencil he drew a line, light enough to erase and harder to detect by people who may desire to take his seat for any occasion. The line was drawn on the edge of the bottle's shadow. Glistening light from the water within it and the plastic edges danced around playfully whenever his desk had moved an inch. 

As far as it went, his academic life was truly suffering in ennui. His parents had often gone on about "Asians are to achieve more than those 'other' races" but the point whether he could do it or not was out of the question. Of course he could. He just didn't want to. 

"Yoh." A stern voice interrupted his peaceful silence; an invisible barrier that he casted upon himself. With an almost dirty look, he turned over to the person sitting next to him. The first thing that came to his mind was 'wife beater'. Emotions and relationships had gone downhill since the fight. When a crisis occurs, the most unique people from the most unique places come together and fight for one cause. The Shaman had never felt so much love and spirit in one place where he was surrounded with people just like him. 

But when a crisis ends, life resumes once more. Lyserg Diethyl, Horohoro, Bokuten no Ryu, Chocolove, Pilica, Silva, Karim, Redseb, Seyram, and the Ice Men had left to gone back where they once belonged. Where life returns its call and once more, friendships were ended and separated. 

Tao Ren, Faust VIII, Eliza, and Tamao all lived under the same roof as they were in. The empty rooms of their house was now occupied and the Shaman had an feeling he had called for some of them to stay where he lived. To perhaps still live with his friends, to continue on with the life he had wanted that had lasted for a few months. But in his heart, he knew life still had changed. People move on, and everyone seemed to have accepted it but him himself. 

"_Yoh_." 

"Yes?" he asked almost bitterly. Everyone had their own schedule. Ren was accepted into a different high school except it was a private high school his parents were sure to pay for. "I'm trying to listen to the teacher's lecture." He lied. 

"You're not. Write down some more notes and try to be a better husband by getting better grades." She said returning her attention towards the teacher's lecture. Yoh turned back to the board and lost his concentration on trying to write down something within thirty seconds. Silence had settled between the two and Manta saw the fiancee relationship slowly tearing apart. As a best friend, he had always been by Yoh's side. 

But Yoh had many friends too. One alone cannot fill up a whole heart no matter how important they were. He still had so many people who had made his heart whole but now had thrown off the makeup worn and revealed the scum that was behind it. 

He looked back upon the shadow of the water bottle where he had drew the line. Only a sliver of shadow covered the line he had drawn. He felt tempted to slam his table in fury and evoke attention from the class. His social status had entirely had jumped an arseyturvy turn. 'So high school really does change who you are…' he thought. On the first day of school when he happened his locker he had gotten at least six or seven anonymous letters of all types of different girly handwriting of how they adore him. 

That was his first day of school. 

Yoh became confused of how he had attracted girls in his grade who liked to be address to as 'women' or 'ladies' which he found odd at one time. When he had said that women were girls who lost their virginity, Anna had slapped him twice. Everywhere he went, he was swarmed by people he did not know and felt flattered in some way that he felt to the least 'liked' and 'wanted' by someone or many people. 

He was also "friends" with the many boys in his grade. It didn't take too long for Yoh to realize that they were only using him to get to their secret crushes and the Shaman could only imagine what would happen when Valentine's Day came around. 

Please Spare The Trees. 

Anna was in the exact same position as he was. Except for some reason, boys always seem to carry a better reputation than girls if they were not an outcast, perverted person or a wannabe. Girls seem to waver and compete in popularity and work hard to attain the title as for boys seem to be the only world where you could present how you look despite how dumb or foolish you act but you can make it at the top of the pyramid of society as long as you looked great for everyone. 

That system did not take that long for Yoh to figure out. Many girls were jealous of Anna but insisted on using her to get to him since the two lived together. When they heard of another boy that was almost fifteen years, they relaxed. They did not know of their arranged marriage and the other boy that lived with them was probably the division in competition. The bell had finally rang for last period to end. Yoh got up from his seat and a few girls had called out his name and waved bye to him. Out of common courtesy, he waved back at them with a small smile as their wishes were fulfilled with girlish giggles and squirms of laughter that the 'hottest boy' in their grade had given them the slightest bit of his attention to say good-bye. 

Anna rolled her eyes and Manta got off of his seat and waited for Yoh to finish packing up. Manta was popular with the guys in a sense that they loved making him their ninth grade mascot for school spirit weeks and rallies. His entrance in rallies and spirit weeks created much commotion as many girls found him adorable and cute. 

The boy had also grown a few inches surprisingly. Yoh wondered if it was Manta's mother's side of the blood that was giving him the growth spurt. It wasn't a drastic change of growth however. But it clearly made a different between his three foot and a half appearance to a four foot. 

The walk home was a cheerful one as no girls were there to run him over, no guys to hover around Anna, not that Yoh really did care since he knew that Anna did not seemed to have minded the whole arranged marriage and seemed to have even supported it. Manta was surprised the first time he heard it a year ago but it became a usual thing for him as slaps and stare downs of Anna's fierce personality suddenly became normal. Despite everyone's return to the normality.. 

There was a part of him …that died a year ago. It was when he had killed Hao. 

That was what he felt that separated him from the many people he knew. As twins are born, a superstition held that their souls were intertwined with one another's. But his had vanished and slipped through his hands. People had praised him for doing the right thing. But was it? 

He had watched the faces of his followers turn away with such sadness he had never seen. They were not faces of revenge or loathe. He could hear the screams of jubilant joy and happiness flutter within the crowds that were against the mighty Asakura Hao. Even in the depths of it all, the cries of sadness and mourning had kept him up at night. It was in his best wishes to apologize and invite them to be friends…although Ren probably wouldn't like it but after what he had done, he couldn't bear to look at them in the face ever again. 

He even considered himself a murderer. 

"Life is so cruel, Manta, is it not?" Yoh smiled. Anna and Manta looked at him with a face of most bewilderment. Realizing what he had just said, he shook his head and dashed away from them in a nearly dreadful state. 

"Anna---" 

"Let him be, Manta. He hasn't been the same since Hao had departed this world." She shook her head sadly. The boy looked up at her with a look of surprise. "The idiot does not even want to be around me any more." 

"Anna, he's probably confused." He said staring at the disappearing figure. "I'll go talk to him." 

"No." she said sternly. "He should sort these feelings out himself. If he's going to be my husband, I don't want someone who will be dependant on others." 

"Anna….I hate to say this." Manta looked away. The itako glared at the shorter boy waiting for him to say something. "He's fifteen." 

"So?" she shrugged. "So am I. And so are you." Manta shook his head and mumbled 'never mind'. A frightened but sad look flickered across the itako's face and the two walked home silently. It was just like any other. 


	2. 2

**Askance of the Heart**

Disclaimer: I own my own ideas; the Shaman King Anime and its characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei. 

Info: This is going to be a multichapter story. I've planned it to be only 4 chapters long going in depth into the relationship between the Shaman King cannon pairing. No, I'm not a Yona fan (GASP) but I'm writing a Yona. I just want to see one written properly so I'm taking upon doing that myself (something some people just can't do :hides:). So shoot me if you don't agree :P;. 

Chapter 2: More contemplations and such. Many people like to think "hey, Yoh and Anna **together**, **forever**". When you're 15 years old (puberty!), relationships are not as simple as a hand in a glove~. 

Ren paid little attention to the television screen. The thing that bothered him most was the smell coming from the kitchen. Tamao may be a good cook but she is still only thirteen years old and has much to experience. After a few days of Hao's defeat, Yoh had refused to eat at the table with the rest of them; the boy always wanted some silence to himself. 

It bothered him that there was someone in the house that was more distant than he was. In a sense, he felt confused why he was like that himself. He was only fifteen but the idea of withdrawing from others seem to be safer than the chance of rejection. And once he was accepted, he had wanted to _feel_ accepted. Even if it meant trying to push others away with the comfort that they still want him to be 'part of them'. 

The Shaman fight was over. Horohoro had left to go somewhere...wherever that 'where' was and Chocolove went back to the States. Ren had a feeling since the beginning that Yoh had tried to recreate what life was like in those days that they had something to discuss over like fight Hao or maybe pick on the X-Laws. Those days were over. 

He had accepted them simply because that was the way time went. Time would at last separate, time can make new life grow as old friends die. Tao Ren accepted it was time to move on. The itako agreed to move on and leave behind what was meant to be left behind. Even Tamao had turned away from those memories that had binded them altogether at one point; so strong that not even Hao could rip apart their friendship. 

Besides...they all made it through alive. Right? 

Yoh was in such a state that even he gave up to try to help him. The Shaman, unlike those days during the Shaman Tournament, was he calm. He was always calm but this felt a little different. He was calm yet angered and disrupted inside. The Oracle bells were rendered useless; there was no need for them. As an observer, he watched the relationship of the set marriage beginning to fall apart. Friendships were close to being cut by a pair of threatening scissors and its beautiful blade glistening in the light. 

And as an observer, the Chinese Shaman predicted that this relationship was about over. No communication, loss of trust, respect, dependance, and love. He could only smirk at the idea of the early marriage. It's impossible to have such dramatic relationship try to occur at such an age. Disrupted noises were heard from the television as the channels were flipped over and over. The two Shamans did not converse in any way. Ren frowned for a moment looking at the paragraph he had just written. 

Relationships can be put aside. They are of less importance at such an age. For now, he had to be strong enough to grow up and live an ideal life. Friends can wait. 

+++

Anna quickly ran down the stairs and saw Ren working on an essay of his. No matter how organized Ren was, he was only fifteen. It was normal for several intelligent people to do last minute work. Yoh, however, sat on the couch flipping through the channels. She wondered if he even was paying attention to the television screen at all. The numbers seemed to have changed quickly without a second thought. 

"Yoh, we have a thesis essay due tomorrow." she frowned. The boy looked as though he did not hear her or ignore her. The Shaman turned the volume of the teleivison screen even higher making Ren another disturbed soul within the house. 

Annoyed, she walked over and grabbed the remote control from his hands. Except he had held onto it too. 

"You have not even started." she frowned. He glared at her for a moment and pulled the remote control free from her. 

"How would you know?" 

"I checked through your--" 

"YOU WHAT?!" The Shaman got up in a fit of anger. Tamao's head poked out of the kitchen nervously as Ren seemed only distracted by the noise going on. "What gives you the right to look through my stuff?" 

"I'm your fiancee. Am I not aloud to look at your school work?" Anna glared. 

"Fiancee. _Fiancee_." he muttered and sat back down. "You don't have to go around through school and brag that you're my fiancee." 

"Embarassed then?" she challenged. 

"Can I say yes?" 

The answer was like a harsh slap to the face. The memories of their childhood and the Shaman fight meant nothing to him after all. The itako stepped forward and threw her hand to slap him only to hit the remote control he held up to block the attack. 

"Those were good times, weren't they?" 

The conversation had become so interesting that even Ren was watching. Tamao stood not too far away from him shuddering at the thought of Yoh being so cruel to Anna. She could have never imagined Yoh do such a thing to his fiancee whom he once said he loved her. 

"You're not Yoh..." the itako murmured the words so only she could hear it herself 

"That's too bad." he sighed hearing every word and held the control up to the screen flipping channels again, ignoring her presence. "Hao's dead so I suppose you're stuck with me until I request an end to the marriage. I never understood why there should be arranged marriages going around in the twenty-first century. Especially when I still have another ten years to think about it. 

"It's like I'm limited to only one girl or else." he rolled his eyes. Anna felt her left hand tingle slightly as she slapped him one more time successfully. 

"You have no right to simply take your anger out on me just because Horohoro, Chocolove, Lyserg, and Ryu aren't here." she snapped before leaving him on the couch. Yoh felt his hand rub against his cheek that burned. Girls would question him tomorrow of what had caused that. 'My "aunt".' he looked over into the family room seeing the happy couple, Faust and Eliza, gaze at one another blissfully. 

'Another sleepless night then.' he thought to himself dully. 

To Be Continued~ 

**A/N:** Yes there's two more chapters to go. Believe me, it will end with Yona, like I said. The third chapter is going to go into even greater detail of situations and such (inspired by Confidential Confessions ^^;;). I guess I slacked off a little on this chapter. Thanks for the reviews~. 


	3. 3

**Askance of the Heart**

Disclaimer: I own my own ideas; the Shaman King Anime and its characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei. 

Info: This is going to be a multichapter story. I've planned it to be only 4 chapters long going in depth into the relationship between the Shaman King cannon pairing. No, I'm not a Yona fan (GASP) but I'm writing a Yona. I just want to see one written properly so I'm taking upon doing that myself (something some people just can't do :hides:). So shoot me if you don't agree :P;. 

Chapter 3: The climax~I think. I think I may make it an extra chapter. I don't plan things out, you know ^_~;. There have been too many Anna speculations (I think for some reason o_O;;) but she's the easiest since we (or at least I as the 'over-speculates-er') have know idea how Yoh feels about her. 

She had gotten up feeling so furious that morning of what happened yesterday evening that she had not even bothered to wake him up. Tamao was the earliest to have awaken and had Anna's, Yoh's, and Ren's set neatly on the table. The itako stormed into the kitchen with a poker face. Yet through her pace, Tamao understood inately that she was irritated. 

"Anna-sama? Where is Yoh-sama?" the young cook inquired without turning around. She continued to write up a recipe that would be suitable for a nice Thursday dinner. 

"Where lazy asses are." the itako snapped back harshly and took her lunch from the table and forced her foot into her two formal shoes that the school 'required' of their school uniform to have and wear. "Wake the idiot up in ten minutes if he's still sleeping." 

"Well, well, rise and shine, are we?" Faust mused cheerfully as the two girls exchanged glances. "Anna...you look furious. Have some tea." 

"I have school. Maybe you can tutor me when I get back." she said quickly slamming the door shut behind her. It shook the house so hard that the residential ghosts wailed and took their anger upon the walls causing Ren to take up his sword and torturing the spirits for waking him up. 

Tamao sighed rubbing her temples. She had afternoon school so it wasn't such a rush. However, the screams of the ghosts, Ren's screaming and swearing in Chinese, and Faust's cheerful musings began to wake the entire neighboorhood violently. 

+++

School was almost over when Anna realized that Yoh had not shown up at school all day. She surely wasn't in every one of his classes but he was nowhere to be seen. Many girls sighed tragically as though they had lost their mothers that Yoh's beautiful face had not shown up today. Anna, however, was infuriated. 

By the time she had gotten home, Ren looked just about ready to kill her. Eliza, being the motherly woman, she was, hushed Ren away as the Shaman could do nothing but follow Eliza's orders wanting to avoid her pulling an Anna. The itako blinked twice, befuddled at the scene, and stormed to Yoh's room and pounded angrily against it. 

"Idiot. You didn't go to school today." No reply. 

She, instead, took up the offer and kicked the door open revealing an unoccupied room. She suddenly felt light and airy as if she was about to fall into a cold pool of water. 

Nothing had happened. 

He simply wasn't at home. 

So she waited downstairs in the kitchen for him to return...when Tamao came back home at six o' clock, it was then her anxiety began to grow. 

Ren had left the room looking extremely displeased as he felt an absence of a person. He glanced into the kitchen where Tamao was preparing the food for dinner. Anna had her school books and homework out but found the clock a much more interesting thing to gaze at. 

"He's not home?" 

"No." 

"Not too much of a surprise." 

"What do you mean?" the itako took her eyes off the clock and glowered angrily at him. The Chinese Shaman glared in return without a word and changed his direction to head to where food was about to be served. Anna followed right after him. He definitely was not leaving without answering her. "Tao. What do you mean?" she asked this time repeating in harsher tones. 

"Anna-sama, what is it?" the young, cheerful cook asked. 

"What does this bastard mean? No surprise that Yoh's not home?" 

"He isn't?" 

"_Fine_." Ren snapped. "He went out last night. He told me not to tell any of you." 

"And why?" the itako demanded. "For someone living under the same roof as ours, you seem to have a lot to hide." 

"Heh...you're the mind-reader. Go on and continue to intrude in my mind of what I know and what I think." the Shaman smirked. For the first time, Tamao had never seen the two in an argument worst than this. Usually it was Anna's opponent who would remain on the losing side but they were growing up. Boys learn to become much more mature and not become as intimidated as they once were a year ago during the Shaman fight. 

"Well I don't need that ability anymore. I used it during the Shaman fight because we needed information from the enemy, not from our _allies_." she snapped. 

"Do whatever you want." Ren muttered furiously. "Tamao, can I have that same bowl of noodles you cooked yesterday?" The timid girl nodded. "However," he said with a sigh turning his gaze back to the itako. "I doubt he'd want to come back here." 

"And the reason?" 

The Shaman looked up at her with a growing smirk. He then shook his head as Tamao grew more and more distracted by the uncomfortable silence. 

"Why don't you think about it?" he whispered quietly taking a sip out of the cup of tea and ignored the terrible reaction from the itako in front of him. 

**A/N:** Yay! One more to go :)! Thank you for the reviews ^-^! Now slightly inspired by both Confidential Confessions AND X-Day, both licensed by Tokyopop :D;. 


	4. 4

**Askance of the Heart**

Disclaimer: I own my own ideas; the Shaman King Anime and its characters belong to Hiroyuki Takei. 

Info: This is going to be a multichapter story. I've planned it to be only 4 chapters long going in depth into the relationship between the Shaman King cannon pairing. No, I'm not a Yona fan (GASP) but I'm writing a Yona. I just want to see one written properly so I'm taking upon doing that myself (something some people just can't do :hides:). So shoot me if you don't agree :P;. 

Chapter 4: The last chapter! Enjoy :D! 

The night had been restless. After the short hand strolled past one, the itako's eyes were red and bloodshot. 

She had searched for him for one full day. Anna had decided to cut classes until she could find that future husband of hers whether he liked it or not. The spirits that were summoned did not provide my information of where he was either. In fact, they were quite vague of their descriptions. 

Of course, she could read minds. 

Living things, that is. It was as though Yoh _knew_ she would go after him to find him, torture him, and drag him back home into the real world. 

Many times, even before the Shaman Fight had began, she had always had belief that Yoh would be the best for her. There was no doubt that had to be put into place. Because she believed, it would happen. That Yoh might one day be Shaman King, if not, be her future husband. 

But life went on, the Shaman Fight ended and the Great Spirit left their presence. Every day that dragged on by was another milestone that added one more to the countless barriers that separated them. 

He was only human. And people get tired of one another. Some people are just tired of people. That was probably what Yoh Asakura was thinking. 

The itako got up from her futon and changed into some warm clothes. The television screen was left on as the weather man had reported of showers for the next few days. 

She trusted he would come back, but he was not obliged to fulfill every thought of trust and hope that formed in her head. 'People are unpredictable.' she thought furiously and donned a thick and heavy raincoat over her. 

+++

No one was out in Tokyo at one in the morning. Commuting to get back home was already over and the trains were nearly empty. 

As she sat down by herself and looked out the window where the rain splattered playfully against the window, had soothed her soul. It was a cold day that she had first met him too. The weather was cold, but the moment was warm, even if she did pretend to be part of the icy snow. 

_"Second to last stop, Izumo. The final stop will be at Iwami at approximately two-ten."_

The rain immediately sent a barrage of heavy waterdrops upon her thick raincoat as she made her way towards the Asakura shrine which was only about ten or twelve miles from here. If she could only call a taxi at two in the morning. 

Two days since Yoh had ran out of the Asakura household. She had spent the next two days with barely any sleep to search for him. 

Ren seemed to know why...perhaps it was meant to offend her if she knew. Which was another reason why she was afraid to read his mind. 

It didn't matter that she was extremely tired. She knew she loved him but most of all, she knew at some point the love might fall short. She had false hope for him and the fact that he was fed of it made her want to change. 

Anna waited for several minutes but no taxi came. It was as though she expected Yoh to be waiting here for her. Sighing with discontent, she dragged her purse along with her as it slided against the rough wood. 

'Damn you, you inconsistent bastard for making me worried...' she grumbled. 'Just wait until I get my hands on that idiot and rip him into pieces!' the itako screamed mentally to herself as her fist collided with a wooden pillar that kept the roof a shelter from the rain. 

If only he knew how she had felt...he probably had knew, had grown so angry by it, and left. It was unlikely that Yoh was struggling with love or a little crush that had to do with her. He wasn't like that. Yoh was nowhere being a lovesick puppy. 

He was just sick of her. 

Brushing that depressing thought aside, the itako picked up her purse and continued towards the direction of the shrine. Most of her hope, in what she believed Yoh was like, was lost. 

She hadn't even thought about how Yoh would feel. She always would remember that he was the innocent, sweet thirteen-year old...or that young Yoh that wanted to save her. 

Whatever it was though, the itako reminded herself maybe it was a good time to express how she felt. Things have been quiet for a long time. 

**A/N:** Okay. I'm sorry XD. I was planning for it to be 4 chapters and thinking this would be the last chapter. But there were too many things to describe about and I would only be rushing the end of a fic you wouldn't to see an end go so badly XDD. But I swear, Chapter 5 will be the last chapter. Hang in there XD;. 


	5. 5

**Askance of the Heart**

Disclaimer: Read Chapter 1. 

A/N: I swear, this is the last chapter. Hope you enjoy the ending :)! Oh...don't expect cliches from me, nyahaha~! 

The gloomy rain began to glower at her even more as puddles splashed beneath her feet. The rainy air, the dark, grey clouds, the scatter puddles were all part of how she had truly felt. Alone. It was because of Yoh Asakura that made her feel welcomed in the first place. To be a part of a world she had never thought existed... 

Before, she had always glared and looked down upon those who smiled in pure bliss and innocence ignoring the sadness of the world. How could they be so happy when she was in pieces? How could Yoh still smile when everyone hated him? 

As she got out of the taxi, she handed a decent amount of yen for the trip and shut the car door behind her as it zoomed off. Never had she thought she would have to come back here for a reason as to search for someone. 

'He should be thankful.' she thought. 'After all of this shit he has put through me through..' Anna scowled. 'The rain feels weaker...I hate...being weak.' she mused to herself staring at her own reflection in one of the larger puddles of water. 'Being weak is unspeakable...but that's what I am. I thought Yoh was weak. I thought Tamao was weak. 

'No...even that little girl is stronger than me. Everyone believes she's too shy and timid.' the itako shook her head as her lips began to tremble from the freezing cold temperatures. 'Everyone believes she cannot defend for herself. Tamao Tamamura...is very strong. Only fools would think she was a weak person...she seems like the perfect person who would depend on anyone who would listen.... 

'But have I ever seen her depend on anyone?' Anna stopped to find herself in the main entrance of the Asakura shrine. 'I have hurt her a lot...she's worked so hard to try to be Yoh's fiancee. No..she's not weak. Weak is the last word I could describe her...the very first word I can describe myself. 

'I always pretend to watch Yoh and believe in a carefree, cool manner that he can manage. He can't. He's only human. I'm only human. What kind of human has ever lived without doubt? I haven't done much...yet I pretend to have...maybe that's why Yoh ran away...from me.' she thought with a tired expression. 'I must apologize.' 

Anna descended at once upon the stairs of the Asakura shrine and strolled down the corridors of the open hallways. Although her head was now guarded from the rain's assault by the roof's protection, she refused to remove her hood. It felt a little bit warmer with it on. 

As the itako made it towards the back, a pair of traditional Japanese sliding doors opened up revealing the young, handsome Shaman. Several seconds ago, his eyes were lit with warm content, but at the sight of seeing his fiancee, the warm light vanished replaced by a hollow, empty shell of dark, hazelnut eyes that bore into her own for a few, long, tense seconds. 

She waited for him to say something as silence settled intensely between them. Yoh turned away to ignore her and walked out into the rain towards the tourist section of the shrine where Kino had a small, souvenir shop that was rarely every used. 

Something stung Anna's eyes. Whether it was the cooling smell of the rain, the musty, old wood of the Asakura shrine, or the cold, unspoken reply she had received had blown a bubble of nothingness that filled every cheerful moment she had ever felt in her life. Not that there were many anyway, but it had taken those precious moments she thought that she had him. 

"Yoh." she called out quietly as she stepped out into the rain. The Shaman didn't turn around, walking on like he had never heard her. "I'm sorry." He finally stopped but still refused to turn around. Yoh had became a much more unpredictable character for the past year since Hao's death. 

"Is that all?" 

A wave of shock ran throughout her chest...especially where her heart was. That was something she had never expected. 'It's like...getting a taste of my own medicine,' she though bitterly. "...Yes." That was all she had to say...right? 

Instead of walking towards the small souvenir store, Yoh's direction shifted towards the living quarters of the Asakura shrine and sat down upon the steps of the ancient, Japanese shrine. The itako still stood in the rain and stared at him with curiously. 

'So he isn't going to walk away...' 

Anna walked over slowly to where he sat, stealing a glance every few seconds carefully to see if he made any motion of avoiding her some more. He had not broke her heart. He had shattered it. 

But...it would be completely stupid for her to let it lie there, in shattered pieces. Sometimes a potter's shattered masterpiece of art would have to be remade. It happens every once in a while. The heart of the owner would shatter and be remade again. 

'It might not be perfect the second time.' she thought as she sat next to her _possible_, future husband and sat about a foot away from him. It was still very close to him yet it felt so far. Fortunately, Yoh made no signs, whatsoever, of getting up or moving away any time soon. The two, young Shamans watched the rain peacefully where the tension of silence, at last died away. 

'It might not be perfect the second time, it might be even harder to create again...but then sometimes the second time 'round might be even be better than first.' she thought as they gazed at the hymn of the calm, dancing rain. 

**Owari.**


End file.
